Moonshine and Machine Guns
by UnaMariah1999
Summary: A planned series of drabbles revolving around Private Tully Pettigrew.
1. The Kepi

_A/N:_ _Title is borrowed from the 8tracks playlist by madhaberdasher._

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Tully's mama sent him the kepi when he was in training camp. The crimson felt and gilt braid was too flashy for him, so he gave it to fellow trainee Hitchcock as a joke. Hitch loved the showy cap and wore it all the time, even after Tully pointed out that it would probably draw German fire.

Occasionally Tully wondered what his mama would think of a Yankee wearing the Confederate hat. He didn't dwell on it much, though.

No Southern born-n-bred boy could have worn the kepi with more pride than Hitch did.


	2. Yellow

Yellow was a familiar color to Tully. Sometimes it seemed the whole of North Africa was yellow.

It was the color of the grit between his teeth, the sun blazing down on him, the barren landscape of rolling sand dunes.

It was the color of the convoy rolling towards him.

"Well, Tully?" Troy called from the valley below. Tully closed his eyes, eyelids flickering shut to block out the line of vehicles snaking across the desert.

But that wouldn't change their color.

"German convoy, Sarge," he said grimly, opening his eyes.


	3. Trained For It

_Fig. 1: remove firing pin and discard_

His teeth clamped down on the pin and he wrenched his head sideways. The pin sprang free; he spat it to one side.

_Fig. 2: Draw arm back, throw explosive overhand_

He pulled his arm back, his injured shoulder screaming in protest as he did so, and hurled the grenade as far as he could.

_Fig. 3: Duck for cover_

He threw himself to the ground and buried his head in his arms as the world rocked and shrapnel showered him. His shoulder throbbed with pain.

The textbooks didn't mention this.


	4. The Jeeps

Several days after being assigned to Rat Patrol, Tully named the jeeps Patty and Milly.

The others thought it was hilarious when they found out, and badgered him to tell them who the girls were. Moffitt thought they were Tully's spinster aunts, while Hitch was convinced they were Tully's old sweethearts.

Tully only smiled and changed the subject when they teased him about it. He knew they'd tease him more if they knew Patty and Milly were named after a pair of stubborn old mules he'd owned back in Kentucky.


	5. Sunday Supper

I miss home most on Sundays. I always end up thinking about Sunday supper back home and Mama's buttermilk biscuits.

It's torture thinking of things like that when you're huddled beside a jeep under your bedroll, choking down stale hardtack. I'm coated with sand and dust and I don't know if I'll ever feel clean again.

Mama used to make me push up my sleeves before I ate, just to be sure I'd washed above my wrists.

Thinking of those buttery biscuits makes the hardtack taste even worse. I spit out the soggy lumps and lean my head on my knees. I smell like sweat, grime, and gasoline and all I can think is Mama would be appalled.


	6. First Kiss

_A/N: Thank you for the reviews - I love each and every one I receive. If you have a one-word prompt you'd like to see written into a drabble, pm it to me and I'll do my best to write it! Just no slash, please. :) _

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She had curly red hair pulled into pigtails, freckles, and a short red gingham dress.

He had shaggy blond hair, a dirty face, and hand-me-down overalls, rolled up at the knees.

They were sitting on the bank of the brook behind the schoolhouse, sitting on the moss and kicking water at up each other.

He leaned forward on an impulse and kissed her on the lips. She gasped, exclaimed, "Tully Michael Pettigrew!" and slapped him in the face. But she was smiling as she ran off and he had a grin on his face for the rest of the day.


	7. Shelter From A Storm

The angry whine of the German bombers filled his ears, followed by the tell-tale whistle of bombs dropping. Tully's grip tightened on a fistful of his blanket. The world quaked in an eruption of sound.

When he was a kid, thunderstorms had scared him.

Another explosion. He felt exposed lying on his back, but his bandaged chest made it impossible for him to roll over.

At the first crack of thunder he'd go running to his parents' bed.

Searchlights panning across the skies illuminated the billowing tent roof. Tully closed his eyes tightly and listened to the thunder as the bombs fell.


	8. Summer

Summer was lugging watermelons in out of the fields, slicing them open on the back porch, and getting your face coated in sticky juice. Summer was plunging into the swimming hole behind the cabin every chance you got.

Summer is the hood of the jeep being too hot to touch. Summer is savoring each sip of water you get before swallowing it. Summer is sweat dripping down your skin, plastering your hair down. Summer is wanting to strip off your uniform because the damp fabric chafes, and not being able to because the sunburn will sear your skin.


	9. Christmas Letter Home

Dear Mama,

Merry Christmas, although I'm not sure when you'll get this. I miss you and Pa awfully, and I hope you're doing alright.

I sure am missing your chocolate cake, and Christmas ham too. K-rations sure aren't a very festive meal, but we made do. Sarge picked up some beer when he went into town, and the jeep shook it up so much it exploded all over Hitch when he opened a can. We got a good laugh out of that.

Hopefully the Jerries will be too busy with their own Christmas festivities to make any trouble today. Wish everyone back home a Merry Christmas from me, and take care. I'll write again soon.

Love, Tully

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_Poor Tully! While I was writing this, I just wanted to send him home to his family for Christmas. :') _


	10. New Boots

It was about _time_ he got some new boots.

His old ones were too small and rubbed his feet raw, right through the sand-caked, sweat-soaked socks he wore every day. Carefully, he eased the clean socks on over the reddened, blistered skin on his ankles. The new boots, leather un-cracked by the desert heat, slid on over his feet. When he had laced them up, they actually fit - his toes didn't feel like they were caught in a vise anymore. It was nice being able to take five steps without his feet hurting.

Having boots that actually fit made the whole thing more bearable.


	11. Bubblegum

"I can't believe you did that," Hitch said flatly.

Tully shrugged and bent over the engine again. "Well, necessity is the mother of invention." He sucked on his matchstick as he examined the jeep's insides. "An' it ain't like we had much of a choice. Fuel tank got punctured."

"But why did you have to use my bubble gum to patch it?" Hitch exploded.

Tully straightened, wiping his hands on the oily rag tucked into his waistband. He slammed the hood of the jeep, gave a deadpan look to Hitch, and said, "Because it was there."


End file.
